Recently departed Renault Australia Chief Rudi Koenig worked hard to develop plans for the brand’s growth in Australia and some of these were unveiled in Sydney.
Key is a switch in sourcing from expensive French manufacturing facilities to Renault’s South Korean plant (shared with fellow Nissan-alliance company Samsung).
First up is the handily priced (from $22,990 to $29,990) Fluence sedan.
Elegantly styled, the Renault Fluence lines-up as a rival for Volkswagen’s hot-selling Jetta.
The Renault Fluence shares its 103kW/195Nm engine with the just-launched Renault Megane hatchback. Drive is to the front wheels via either a six-speed manual transmission or a CVT automatic.
Significantly for customers in this segment, the Fluence provides a massive 530-litre boot capacity (Renault claims this beats all rivals).
Inside is the usual Renault combination of comfort, style and contemporary trim. Safety is impressive with standard ESC and six airbags.
